Vizag port sets record in cargo handling

The Visakhapatnam port, one of the 13 major ports in the country, has created a national record in cargo handling today by crossing a figure of 463 lakh tonnes of cargo.

In the last financial year the port had come very close to touching the national record and is slated to touch the 475 lakh tonnes mark by end of this fiscal.

In 1999-2000, Kandla port had set a new record by handling 463 lakh tonnes of cargo throughput and since then no other port in the country had ever reached the figure.

The Visakhapatnam port, which has got the number one status among the all major ports in the country in cargo handling for the last three successive years, had handled 460 lakh tonnes of cargo during the last fiscal.

K S D Dattu Raju, traffic manager in Visakhapatnam Port and who has also worked as a traffic manager in Kandla Port in 1999-2000, said: "I am very happy that the Visakhapatnam port has broken Kandla port's record and is going to create a national record by handling 475 lakh tonnes during this fiscal."

As on date, Visakhapatnam port has handled 118.5 lakh tonnes of iron ore, 169 lakh tonnes of petroleum products and 176.5 lakh tonnes of other cargo.